A year ago, Minister of the Interior Bart Somers (Open Vld) launched the so-called ‘Plan Copenhagen’, named following the cycling Valhalla in the Danish capital. For every two euros that cities and municipalities would invest in the construction or improvement of a cycle path, the Flemish government would impose one euro. The majority of these subsidies come from the pot of European recovery funds.
Interest is greater than expected. In total, applications were submitted for 1,644 kilometers of cycle paths. Flanders is pumping 157 million euros into these paths. If you add the investments of the local authorities, the total investment comes to 412 million euros. The provinces are also getting their share: for every euro they invest, especially in bicycle highways, Flanders imposes one euro.
Big differences
Since requests exceed budget, not every board can receive the support it hoped for. Each municipality was given a budgetary limit. “The hope is that by 2025, following the works have been completed, we will have 1,000 kilometers of new or renovated cycle paths,” says Somers’ spokesperson.
It is striking that there are large regional differences. For example, regarding a hundred municipalities have not submitted any subsidy applications. This mainly concerns rural municipalities, with clusters in West Flanders and Limburg. The subsidies that they forgo were distributed under the ‘first come, first served’ principle among the municipalities that did submit an application. This led to major differences between municipalities.
The city of Maaseik takes the cake, with a subsidy of no less than 244 euros per inhabitant. The surrounding municipalities receive a lot less. In Kinrooi the subsidy is barely 2 euros per inhabitant, in Bree 0 euros. You can see the same story at the second largest glutton, Wichelen in East Flanders. That will receive 201 euros per inhabitant, while the neighboring municipality of Berlare will have to make do with 108 euros. Wetteren, Lede and Dendermonde get nothing.
Not wide enough
According to Flemish Member of Parliament Stijn Bex (Groen), it is a pity that the resources are so concentrated. “Of course it is positive that money goes to cycle paths, but you notice that the money is mainly taken up by local governments that are already forerunners in terms of bicycle safety. The municipalities that are lagging behind are once once more left behind. That is how the gap grows.” According to Bex, half of the budget will go to 25 municipalities.
An additional point of criticism from Bex is that the new cycle paths do not have to comply with the new rules for cycle paths that were approved last summer. From now on, for example, a cycle path must be 2 meters wide if it runs in one direction, and 3 meters for both directions. “That’s right. Although these new guidelines are of course still recommended,” said the Somers cabinet.
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